


I Know Better (than to bring you into this shit)

by pothosianqueen



Category: Luke Cage (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, but let's see when we get there, i have so many ideas for it, plant shop au, saving that tag for future reference
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-16
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-18 14:55:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29491665
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pothosianqueen/pseuds/pothosianqueen
Summary: Rosa Green, a perfectly innocent and normal New Yorker, ventures into Harlem’s Paradise and attracts the attention of a particular criminal mastermind.
Relationships: Shades Alvarez/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 1





	1. Have you got color in your cheeks?

**Author's Note:**

> It's been ages since I wrote anything complete. Even longer since I shared any of my writing with anyone. I'm quite nervous. Please don't bite (too hard) (little bit is okay). 
> 
> The rating's for later. It's been so long since I used this site for publishing that I can't even remember if you can assign different chapters different ratings. And I'm seriously hoping that the tags can be updated later. But the smut won't happen for a while. Please stay tuned? 
> 
> Now I would also like to point out that English isn't my first language, though I do use it a lot in my life. So please feel free to point out any grammatical errors, or if I've ended up using weird words or non-functioning phrases. 
> 
> And to stay on the safe side: I wish I owned Shades but I don't. It's all MCU and Netflix. I wish they didn't have to get divorced and kill their babies. Or was Netflix just a side chick? Anyway, I wish the babies lived. And I'm rambling. In about seventeen thousand times shorter sentences than what I usually write. Remember when I said I was nervous? Yeah I meant scared. To death. 
> 
> Please enjoy the fic now. Byeee.

She’d gone to the club with her friend Pete. She wasn’t big on night clubs, normally, but he’d sold the outing to her with the promise of a jazz night with live music. However, and not at all surprisingly, Pete had found company quite fast. He was always surrounded by interested parties, of course, what with being flamboyantly handsome, intensely extroverted and, apparently, insatiable, but she could’ve sworn this was some kind of a new record.

In practically no time had he spotted someone who picked his interest and – probably by using some sort of mindpowers – lured the unsuspecting victim within reach. Rosa sometimes wondered if she should warn these poor fellows about her dear friend’s tendencies, but he _was_ a dear friend, so she didn’t. Plus, the way Pete operated was sometimes really entertaining to watch.

But this time around, by the time the first band had finished and the main event was preparing for their performance, Rosa found herself hoping she’d have remembered to recharge her phone before going out just so she would’ve had somewhere to escape. Pete and the new guy were lusting over each other quite openly, and she was bored.

‘’Sorry, boys, I’m going to powder my nose. You guys want anything from the bar?’’ she asked, preparing to get up.

‘’Nah, I’m good, thanks,’’ Pete answered, glancing at her appreciatively. The New Guy – he had introduced himself, of course, but there was only so much space in Rosa’s memory palace for Pete’s one night stands – declined as well, and nodding she got up.

On her way back towards the bar she glanced at her table and found herself looking at such an unfiltered display of sexual attraction that she had to roll her eyes. The bar counter wasn’t crowded, so she decided to find herself a seat there. She spotted an empty area with a couple of seats on the bar with a perfect view to the stage. She took a seat, and while waiting for the bartender she turned to look at the stage behind her where the band was making sound checks. She must’ve gotten lost in her thoughts at some point, because suddenly she was startled out of it.

‘’Are you alright, sweetheart?’’ a smoky voice to her left said. What her eyes discovered stole her breath away. A man was leaning against the counter, striking in the most beautiful latino-meets-middle-east kind of way, with cheekbones and chin like carved stone. His dark eyes were looking at her intensely. There was no hint of concern detectable in his expression, only curious amusement.

’Yes, thank you,’’ she breathed out, glad and a bit surprised that her voice came out loud enough. ‘’I’m just waiting for the music and some wine,’’ she continued, a bit more confidently.

The man narrowed his eyes slightly, clearly making some kind of a decision, and after a while raised his hand as if expecting something in it. A bartender was there in a mere fraction of a second. She raised her brows, surprised.

‘’A glass of wine for the lady,’’ the man said in an authoritative voice, his face never turning away from her. ‘’Red?’’

For a second she just stared at him, not really keeping up with the action. His looks seemed to have messed with her brain activity.

“Um. Yes, sure,” she finally answered, having lost all confidence from her voice and unable to turn her gaze from the man’s face.

“What would you like, miss? I would recommend an Argentinian Malbec that we just recently came to possess, but we have many excellent Syrahs, Merlots and Cabernet Sauvignons as well, and our Chilean Pinot Noir is truly exceptional.”

That snapped her attention, and she looked at the bartender. Right. Wine. I know this. She really hoped the bartender had read her budget correctly from her attire.

“The new Malbec sounds interesting, thank you.”

The bartender nodded and turned towards the mystery man. “And a whiskey neat for you, sir?”

The man nodded, and the bartender turned to work. Without daring to look at the mystery man again, Rosa started going through her hand bag, looking for her wallet.

“The drinks are taken care of.”

At that, she raised her eyes to the man again, putting her bag away. “Thank you.” Something about the man’s tone or presence made it feel like contradicting would be a childish waste of time.

For a long moment they just looked at each other, and she for one took that time to admire his features. The way his hairline was shaped reminded her of cubistic art, and the faintest stubble over his upper lip punctuated the slightly amused expression on his face. His presence was powerful, somehow dangerous and calming at the same time. Like a mighty wildcat who at this time was after some other prey, and for now, with him, she was safe.

The bartender interrupted the silence. “Miss. Sir. Please let me know if I can do anything else,” he said, placing the glasses next to them. Then he bowed and just moved away.

Rosa took a sip of her wine, which turned out to be both amazingly good and amazingly out of her budget. She would not be able to get her hands on something this delicious for a long while.

“So what are you, the owner of this place or something?”

The corner of his mouth twitched upwards. “Or something. I’m Shades.”

She blinked at the name, but smiled back at him. “Rosa.”

“A beautiful name. You’re not from around here.”

Rosa was born and raised in the city, but she knew he didn’t mean that. She didn’t go to Harlem very often.

“No. I came for the music with a friend, but” she glanced at Pete, still snogging The New Guy aggressively, “it seems like the music really had its toll on him.”

Shades followed her gaze and raised his brows for a moment. “Jazz can have that effect sometimes.”

“Yes. But I should’ve known. He’s very prone to be affected by any type of music. Or silence, for that matter.” He hadn’t seemed disapproving in any way, and yet she still felt like she needed to give him an explanation. Or wanted to. _Why_? He looked at her with a studious look in his eyes and flashed a smile for a second.

As if ordered, the band started their gig. Rosa smiled at the man politely and turned again towards the stage. She could feel his eyes on him. As the sensual notes started playing, her body finally seemed to catch up to the excitement of the tension between them. Feeling her hands start to shake a bit, she took another sip of wine and went to balance the glass on her lap to hide the trembling. The atmosphere gradually intensified, making her breathing became shallow, and she started to feel dizzy. His eyes never left her face.

The first piece of music seemed to go on for eternity, and the transition to the next one was very organic. By then the tension between Rosa and Shades seemed to have reached its peak, and slowly she started to enjoy it rather than be terrified by it. She dared to take another sip of the wine, happy to notice that the shaking had subsided somewhat. She felt, or saw, his eyes follow her glass and then slowly travel back up to her face again, shameless in their journey. I could get used to this.

After a couple more tunes she saw in her peripheral vision a black man in black approach them, and he said something quietly to Shades. He nodded, and the black guy took a step back, standing in wait.

"Please excuse me,” Shades said, and she turned her head alarmingly fast. “There is business that needs taking care of.”

He stretched his arm and took Rosa’s still trembling but thankfully not sweaty hand, pulling at it in a manner that didn’t leave any space for resistance. He brought her fingers up and brushed his lips against them. The stare of those intense eyes that came with the kiss made her lungs feel like they forgot how to function. Then, letting go of her hand, he turned and walked away with the black guy on his tail.

When he disappeared from her view she inhaled sharply, suddenly aware of her surroundings. She turned towards the band again, taking deep breaths to relieve the tension. Her heart started to beat faster as if finally in the clear of something that required calm, and it upped the shaking of her hands again. She knew it would go on for a while still. Slowly she finished her wine, willing it to calm her racing heart. As she turned to place the empty glass on the table, the bartender returned.

“Mr. Alvarez insisted you were offered another glass of wine, on the house, of course. Would you like the same or try something different, Miss?”

She raised her brows in surprise. “Wow. Thank you, I’ll take another glass of the same, it was delicious.”

The bartender bowed politely and poured another glass. She thanked him again, and then turned back towards the band. Who on earth was Shades Alvarez?


	2. Do you ever get that fear that you can't shift

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He shows up.

She was wrist deep into the growing media when the doorbell rang. It always did just as she was getting busy with the production part of her business.

“Be right there!” she yelled, washed her hands and hurried to the shop. To her absolute bewilderment the customer was Shades, and he was looking at a ‘Marble Queen’ in a hanging basket. She stopped in her tracks and blinked stupidly. Noticing, he turned towards her and took off his shades, and for a moment her lungs stopped processing oxygen. He was sporting a slightly amused look with the tinies, most arrogant smile.

“You should take a coffee break.” His voice was just as smoky and enticing as she remembered, and she was nodding before she knew it. _How does this man have so much power over me_? She thought about the coffee for a moment.

“There’s a great little coffee shop a few blocks from here. I wouldn’t mind walking there and back.”

It was his time to nod approvingly. She shed her soil stained apron, grabbed the brightly colored flannel shirt that was serving as her coat, and felt very underdressed and messy in her loose, pale jeans and white tank top. Shades was wearing a thin, tightly hugging sweater with a dress shirt underneath and perfectly fitting slacks. His all-black attire combined with his dark hair and shades made his olive skin almost glow. Everything about him was neat and perfect, and here she was, probably with peat moss in her loosely tied hair. But she had been happy with her looks in the morning, and she now decided to be confident even if her chaoticness was juxtaposed with his groomed apparel.

She turned the sign at the door from “Open” to “Closed”, and locked the door behind them.

“How did you find me?” she asked, though she had an inkling she might not be getting an answer. He just smiled and swatted a hand dismissively.

“How long have you had a plant shop?” he asked instead.

“Hmm. I guess it’s nearing three years now? Enough to start seeing light at the end of the tunnel,” she answered, laughing lightly. She had loved her little shop from the very first day she started planning it, but she knew what she was getting into. It had taken time, effort and an endless amount of belief to get to the point where she was no longer struggling under a massive pile of all things stressful. The actual shop work had always been her thing, feeling the damp soil in her fingers and seeing her babies grow and prosper, and she absolutely loved helping customers find the perfect plant, but everything that came with being an entrepreneur? She hated that shit. It was worth it though.

He asked her about the shop and it’s story, and she surprised herself by telling the long version. After high school she had gone to Columbia to study linguistics and literature, but soon realized that her passion was in the tangibility of the world of plants. When trying to make her dorm feel more homely with a bunch of green plants she fell in love with all kinds of vines, and when she enthused about taking care of them with her fellow plant loving class mates she noticed that not everyone cared as deeply about so called perfect conditions. So she decided to minor in chemistry and took some extra biology classes to understand everything better. While still in school she worked in a plant nursery as much as she could, and after graduating with bachelor’s degree she got a permanent job there, trying to learn everything she could on the job. She got comfortable, and her dreams about having a place to grow and sell her favorite Pothoses, Marantas and Monsteras turned into a fantasy. But then her father died.

“So that made me think about everything again. He left me enough cash to buy a small business space almost loan-free, and the sweet lady that was my former employer helped me with setting up the shop and taught me everything about being my own boss. The place used to be a coffee shop and the former kitchen area is perfect for testing things and propagating what I sell. Or keeping to myself what I don’t have the heart to,” she finished with a smile.

Shades grinned approvingly. “Never sell the good shit.” She had to laugh at that.

The coffee shop was crowded, but there was no line on the counter. She ordered a large cappuccino to go, and he a plain, black coffee. When he went to pay for it, she was prepared and immediately handed a ten dollar note and told the barista to keep the change. The girl smiled brightly and thanked kindly, and Shades’ expression flashed from polite to irritated and back. Rosa was satisfied to have managed to bring at least some level of equality to their… whatever this was, and smirked.

Once they were back outside, she finally had to ask. “So, Shades, do you have a first name?”

He looked straight ahead. “Yes. No one uses it.”

She angled her head slightly. “I might?”

He just grunted, and she decided to drop it, though it was hard to tell if it was her decision as much as his.

She was able to pull something out of him, though. She learned that he was born in Puerto Rico and grew up in Harlem. He was now working for? with? the owner of Harlem’s Paradise, and had been for a couple of years. When she asked how he liked working at a night club, he looked at her with curious amusement and shrugged. Amusement was almost always present in his expression, and she wondered if it was real or a means of self-preservation. She liked the look, though, and when he occasionally locked her gaze with his, it did wild things to her. Though to be fair, just walking next to him did wild things to her, the physical attraction almost corporeal. Her heartbeat was surprisingly steady, though, and somehow she managed to keep a light note to her voice when they talked. Maybe the light of day kept her grounded, or something.

When they came back to her shop, she finished her coffee and put the cup in a nearby trash can.

“This has been really nice,” she said, suddenly nervous.

“It has,” he responded. He took a step closer and with the intensity in his gaze she had to physically force her lungs to work. She dropped her gaze to his chest just to stay sane.

“Will I see you again?” she asked, barely audible. She could _hear_ his smile. Suddenly his right hand was tugging at her chin, gently but with the kind of authority she was growing accustomed to not to challenge, and after a brief moment of _brace yourself_ she met his eyes with hers once again. And then he kissed her.

His lips were soft and persuasive, and the tension that she’d got familiar with changed completely. He lead the tango of their kiss, right hand leaving her chin to meet with the back of her neck and the left one pulling her body against his. As her heartbeat skyrocketed, her hands rose to grasp at his shirt. Then he broke the kiss, now cupping the side of her head with his hand. He looked into her eyes for a moment, and gave a final, soft, small kiss on her lips. Then he placed his lips so close to her ear it almost tickled, and whispered “Hernan” in a barely audible but incredibly arousing voice, before abruptly turning and walking away.

For a long time she just stood there, bewildered and slightly panting, and watched as he disappeared into the crowd.

When she put her hand in her pocket to grab the keys to the shop, her fingers also found a ten dollar note.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello yes so since there's like two works in this relationship tag I figured there might not be very many readers for this thing of mine. Especially since tumblr hasn't been too wild about Shades lately either, which obviously I don't understand. He's perfect. But so anyway, this is me, rambling to myself whilst gathering enough courage to keep posting. Still scared. On the offchance that someone was interested enough to open this and continue reading: THANK YOU. I LOVE YOU. PLEASE DON'T GO.


	3. The type that sticks around like summat in your teeth?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She shows up. Drama happens. I'm sorry.

Her phone ringed, and it was Pete. Of course it was, practically no one else ever called her. Still she sighed, willing her thoughts to abandon _him_. Apparently a girl could dream, if for nothing else then at least to keep her heart at the breaking point. Her coping mechanisms were so healthy.

“Hi sweetheart, do you have plans tomorrow? And having to work on Sunday is not a plan,” Pete said cheerfully, knowing her way too well.

“Well, I guess I don’t then. What do you have in mind?”

“Remember that Jazz place I took you to couple months ago? Harlem’s Utopia or something.” _Oh no._

“Paradise, darling. Paradise,” she corrected, instantly worried but trying to sound playful. He obviously didn’t buy it.

“What’s wrong with the place?”

“Why is something wrong?” She had no idea why she still tried to keep up with the façade. He frowned out loud.

“Usually you play along with my purposeful mistakes.”

Rosa sighed, coming to terms with her defeat.

“Well. Um. Remember that man that I talked to there?”

“You mean the man who bought you ridiculously expensive wine and stared at you forever? Of course. He was _so steamy_ ,” Pete said and used a voice that made Rosa blush.

“Agreed. I think he works there or something. So there’s probably a chance of bumping into him.”

“And why is that a problem? He seemed very into you.”

“Well, the thing is, that next week he suddenly appeared at my shop and we went for a coffee.”

Pete shrieked. “What! How could you keep that from me?” Pete sounded extremely fake-insulted, though Rosa knew a little bit of truth was there as well.

“I’m sorry. I’ve been kind of confused. I thought the date went well, we kissed and I _definitely_ felt the steam, you know, I’m fairly certain he did as well, but I haven’t heard from him since. And I don’t know what to think.”

“Darling, you should not keep these things from me! Now we’re definitely going so I can sass him out for ghosting you like that,” he said, and his anger warmed her heart.

“Thank you, but please don’t do that.”

“You know I will! Or better yet, you do it yourself! If the man has no manners he needs to learn some.”

“I was hoping I’d just forget about him, but it seems that my mind and dreams have a different plan.”

“Yeah they do,” Pete said with such obvious wink and smirk that it felt like they sent their own radio waves through the mobile network. Then he used a more serious tone. “You need closure. I know it’s a cliché and all, but he’s left you hanging and I think you need to hear him say something definitive.”

She sighed again. “Yeah, you might be right. It’s been an awful week, really. I should’ve talked to you about this sooner.”

“That’s correct. But I know you’d rather wallow in it all by your lonesome until I drag you out of it.” Pete’s voice was warm and joking, and Rosa could feel the connection they had.

“I don’t know why.”

“I know, babe. So tomorrow I’ll coach you in sassing the man out while you do your make up magic, then we confront the handsome asshole, and if the jury ends up voting guilty, we party our misery away. Deal?”

She had to laugh. “Fine. Yes. It’s a plan. See you tomorrow.”

\---

They sat at the bar where she’d met Shades. Impressively, Pete had actually kept her company all night. It was when he went to the bathroom that her mission suddenly appeared. He wasn’t alone, the black guy in black was with him again.

“You should go home. Now.” The impatience in his voice masked something else. Annoyance? Worry? She couldn’t tell. His eyes were covered with his shades again, which made it impossible to read his face. Irritation and disappointment stood up with her.

“I guess that is the answer I came here for.”

His jaw clenched. “I don’t mean to drive you away from the club, except for tonight. It may not be safe.”

She raised her brows. “What does that even mean?”

His lips twitched, and she was now looking at a face of stone, hard and cold. Whatever danger he was talking about seemed serious. “It means you should go.” The authority in his voice made her defiance melt away, and suddenly it was replaced with worry.

“Okay. Yes. My friend should be back in a moment, and we’ll leave.”

He nodded, but almost as an afterthought he took her hand in his and kissed her fingers, just as he had when they first met. And just as back then, her heart skipped a beat. It was evident that she hadn’t been imagining things. Or maybe he made her delusional. She was now more confused about all of it than she had been before.

Their moment was interrupted by the sound of muffled shooting, nearby but not in the same space. There was a second of silence, then the band continued as if nothing had happened. Shades however cursed, pulled Rosa on her feet and started walking her in the opposite direction from the sound, a hand placed at her lower back barely touching but somehow very dominant. She followed his lead like a lamb, mind having a hard time grasping on any thoughts for long enough to do anything else. _There was a shooting? And no one cares? What kind of place is this?_

After a couple of steps the black man informed Shades that it had happened in the bathrooms. Rosa gasped and stopped at her tracks, and they both looked at her.

“Pete just went there! I need to know he’s safe,” she said, with more determination than she probably had ever displayed in front of either of them.

Shades took a moment to decide on it, then nodded and changed their course. But instead of going to the bathrooms he took her to the stairs that lead upstairs to the VIP lounge.

“Where are we going?”

“The lounge should be safe.”

They walked through the lounge and then to what Pete had at some point called super-VIP. There was only a small window through which nothing was visible to downstairs, except if someone was standing right at it. The room was furnished in a cozy yet grandiose way. It was very masculine. A large, wooden office table was placed near the wall across from the door, and behind it was an impressive collection of liquor. The small window was on the right hand wall, and on the opposing wall was a small sofa with coffee tables on both sides.

When they were inside, Shades turned to the other man. He then said something quietly to him, and the man left, closing the door behind him. There was an audible clink from the lock. Rosa didn’t know what to say to Shades, so she went ahead and sat on the sofa, then pulled out her phone and called Pete. He didn’t answer, so she sent a text message and kept staring at it in anticipation. Her hands were shaking and her breathing was shallow, but somehow she was keeping it together.

Shades surprised her by suddenly sitting next to her with drinks in both hands, offering the other one to her. She took a sip, and found out she still didn’t enjoy what she figured must be whiskey. The glass felt calming in her hand, though, so she held onto it. She could feel the space between them, and suddenly the memories of his lips against her hand and the kiss on her lips were playing on her heartrate. _Why am I thinking about that right now? There was a shooting, for god’s sake, and Pete might be hurt! Get a grip, woman…_

“I’m sorry,” she said after a while, turning to look at him. He had shed his shades, and was now raising his brows, eyes intense as ever.

“Why?”

She had to look away again in order to express what she wanted to. “I’m sorry you’re stuck in a safe room with a girl you went on one date with. It seems to me that you’d otherwise be out there, dealing with whatever is going on.”

“My people can handle the situation. I need to know you’re safe.”

That annoyed her. She really wasn’t a damsel in distress and didn’t like being treated as one.

“Yes, well, I’m sorry I’m diverting you from _the situation_. I just need to know my friend’s safe.” She got up and started walking around. She tried to call Pete again, but it went straight to voicemail. She checked the messages and saw that he hadn’t even received her message yet. Fear strengthened within her, so she took another sip of the perhaps-whiskey and grimaced.

After a few moments Shades spoke.

“He’s shaken but fine. Wasn’t at the scene but near it and lost his phone. One of my guys is taking him home. I can have him call you if you want.”

“Thank you. I’ll call his house tomorrow. May I go home now?” Then she abruptly started crying, and in a moment he was there to hold her, somehow very calming. The way he caged his arms around her had her feeling like a tiny bird in its nest, free to be vulnerable at the safety of home, and so she just let her tears wet his suit.

Eventually she calmed down. He gave her some space and offered her a tissue. As he took his tear-stained jacket off she felt a red hot flash of embarrassment.

“Oh god, I’m really sorry. I’ve been such a burden for no reason and now I’ve ruined your suit too. I’ll figure out a way to pay you back for it.”

He looked at her with empathy and regret. “Hey. None of that. You don’t owe me anything.”

She sighed and shook her head, suddenly extremely tired. “I’ll call myself a cab and be out of your way.”

He shook his head. “Let me take you home.”

The authority was back in his voice, so she nodded. Coming out of the room she was surprised to notice that the party was still going strong. She realized it wasn’t even that late yet, maybe 1 am. _I guess shootings are a commonplace here_?

He lead her out of the venue the same way he’d let her up to the lounge. The ghost touch of his hand on her lower back while some of the people at the club looked at them had her cheeks warming. When he took her by the hand and helped her to the backseat of a shiny, black SUV, her heartbeat quickened, but she made a point of not looking at him. She should not let her hopes go up again. She heard him get in next to her, and kept her eyes at her hands.

He pulled her out of her thoughts when the car started moving. 

“I don’t have the type of answers I figure you want to hear.”

At that she looked at him, long, and though his expression was mostly hard, she detected a hint of longing she’d seen before. She looked back at her hands and gathered courage.

“What type of answers do you have, then? You could’ve at least called.” Since he found her shop, he should’ve found out her phone number as well.

“I chose not to.”

“Well, yes, I figured that out. What I don’t understand is why? Either I’m delusional or there’s a really strong type of attraction and connection between us. And I don’t think I’m delusional. So why?”

When she glanced at him, he was staring at her very oddly. Like he was deciding on something. Then he looked away, and it felt like a door had been closed between them. She hadn’t noticed before how all-encompassing being in his focus was, but the absence of it was heartbreaking.

“I don't want to bring you to danger.”

She sighed. “There is a promise of danger floating around you, and I can feel it. And I have no doubt you’re somehow connected to serious crimes, tonight is a proof of that. But I’m not self-destructive. _You_ feel safe.”

When he moved his focus back at her it was filled with anger.

“ _I_ am not safe. In my world, the shit that went down today usually ends much worse. Your world is safe. You should stay in it.” His tone was low and voice very strained. His eyes looked at her piercingly. In that instance, though she could tell the danger wasn’t directed at her, she could also guess how bad it might be to end up on that side of the coin. She swallowed, fighting to keep her composure.

“The dangers that are in _your world_ spill into mine. It is not separate. Today I walked into a bar shooting.”

His eyes narrowed and his expression hardened. “Because of me.”

She snorted faintly, and turned her head away. “I didn’t even know you when I went to that club the first time.”

“But would you have returned if it weren’t for me?”

“That is bold of you. Need I remind you it was you who sought me out after?”

He stretched his arm and held her by her chin, gently turning her head towards him again. _Gosh_ , she thought, _the way he does that is to die for_.

The anger in his eyes had subsided and made room for regret and something else, something very soft. “I can’t afford to worry about you.”

She smiled at him, weak from the power behind the words. He let go of her chin and she instantly missed his touch, but he just moved his hand to hold hers.

“And will you not worry anyway? Knowing I’m out there, obliviously walking into danger at any given moment?”

He raised his brows and shook his head slightly. “This cannot be a negotiation. You don’t even know what you’re negotiating for.”

She sighed. She knew he was right, a sensible part of her even agreed with almost everything he said, and a temperate part of her knew she should turn away and never look back. But the feeling in her heart just couldn’t let this go. 

“I just feel that whatever this is that we might have is way too important to let go of. I’m not careless about the danger, but you make me feel… feel like…” She couldn’t finish her sentence. She didn’t feel ready to go that deep into her emotions out loud, when she barely understood them herself. It wasn’t just physical attraction, there was something about him as a person that tingled at her curiosity and heartstrings.

He turned his face away and again she was left in the absence of... _Of what, woman? Attention? Must I crave it that much?_ “I know better that to risk your life for that.”

She huffed, annoyed that they were going in circles, annoyed that she wasn’t getting through, and annoyed at herself for trying so hard. He had clearly made up his mind about it already. 

“You know what? We both know you’re right. Life is a bitch, and then you die.” And feeling like a child she snapped her hand out of his grasp and exaggeratedly turned her head to look out of the car windows. The rest of the car drive was spent in silence as she slowly came to terms with the only option she was being offered. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, it's me. I was wondering if after all these words you'd like to, IDK, kill me or something, since there's still no smut. If you are in fact another human being. SORRY. I LOVE YOU. PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME.


	4. Have you some aces up your sleeve?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Smut shows up. Finally?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes so. My first try at writing explicit smut, really. It took me ages. Please enjoy? Pretty please?

When the car stopped in front of her building, she turned to look at him and decided to take advantage of the last time she was probably going to see him. _If he’s only going to exist in my memories from now on, let’s make some_. So she unbuckled her seat belt and inched closer to him. When he turned to look at what she was doing, she slowly raised her hand to his cheek, looking deeply into his eyes. And then she kissed him, allowing her hand to travel to his neck and hairline. She lingered there for a while, enjoying the moment as he kissed her back softly. Then she withdrew, and looking in his eyes she muttered a timid “Thank you, Hernan.”

She had turned away and was opening the car door when she heard his voice.

“And if I was wrong?”

She spun around and closed the door again. He was looking at her cautiously, his eyes dark and hungry, and she suddenly felt like a female wild cat about to be courted. Her breath hitched.

“I don’t know. I guess we would have to see.”

“I guess we would.”

He pulled her in with strong hands, looking at her with that expression of his that seemed amused and serious at the same time, very confident and obviously pleased with himself. His right hand rested on her cheek as he brushed her lower lip with his thumb, and her lips parted all by themselves. Then he grasped her waist and pulled her against him, and their lips met.

The kiss was high-speed and hungry, and it awoke a familiar fire within her. Her hands traveled back to his hairline as the kiss deepened, and his hands pressed to her hips. Suddenly she was straddling him, her velvety black dress pooling at their waists, as his hands explored the skin of her thighs and his lips sucked kisses to her neck. His hands slid effortlessly under her dress and squeezed her bottom, pulling her strongly against him, and she gasped weakly as she felt his hard-on. The heat in her lower abdomen was almost painful and the pull of the tension so strong it was hard to fight against it, but this wasn’t a good place. The car, after all, hadn’t driven itself.

“Wait,” she sighed barely audible, but he heard her. He leaned back, and she lost herself in the dark eyes again.

“Yes?” he eventually asked, and the amused smirk on his lips made Rosa blush slightly.

“Maybe we should… go inside?” she had tried to make it sound like a statement, but it came out as a question. He nodded, smiling, and she gathered her dress and got out of his lap, his hands lingering on her thighs long enough to emit a shudder from her.

When they entered her apartment and shed their shoes and her jacket in the small entry space, she got nervous again, and decided that a glass of water was what was needed. She smiled at Shades as confidently as she could, and told him to get comfortable as she walked around the half-wall that separated the living room from the kitchen. The floor plan was an open concept, but she liked that the kitchen was still somewhat separate from where her guests would usually hang out. Shades however followed her, and when she opened the tap to fill a glass, he wrapped his hands around her waist and sensually kissed her neck. With trembling hands she took a long sip from the glass and then carefully placed it on the counter.

“Do you feel safe now?” he murmured against her skin, and she hummed, shivering as his stubble tingled under her ear. He ran his hands up her sides, over her ribs and across her breasts, all the while kissing her. “And how about contraception?”

She gasped when he sucked at her pulse point strongly enough to leave a mark, a most delicious gasp that made him smile against her neck. “I’m clean and have an IUD.”

“Good.”

She turned around, and they shared an intense, lung-collapsing (at least for her) moment gazing into each other’s eyes before crashing their lips together. She moaned as he grabbed her ass with firm hands, and he slipped his tongue in her mouth.

Somehow they made it to her bedroom door without any guiding from her – Shades had obviously looked around enough in the brief moment after walking inside. Her dress ended up on the kitchen floor next to the sink, as did his vest and shirt. His trousers were abandoned somewhere between the fridge and where they were now standing.

He had her flush against the closed door, her arms wrapped around him trying to touch every part of his torso. The way his mouth operated on hers was on a fast track to driving her crazy. One of his hands was cupping her cheek as he kissed her violently, while the other one was finishing the task of undressing her. As he opened the clasp of her bra and she let it slide off, his free hand traveled to her breasts and squeezed softly, playing with the nipple between two fingers and making her take a quick breath in. He travelled his kisses down her throat, sometimes sucking almost violently, sometimes just softly touching, and shivers followed his lips everywhere they went. Quickly he slipped her underpants off, and snaked his hand between her legs. It extracted another gasp and a deep breath from Rosa’s lips, as well as some involuntary twitch of her hips.

“Shit, woman, you’re soaking,” he murmured with a deep rumble that sent another wave of hot need down her spine. She whined against his lips when he glid his fingers through the puffed folds, dipped the tip of his fingers teasingly at her entrance and then slid back to put pressure on her clit. His fingers were deliciously devilish, restraint and unrelenting, and soon she was having a hard time getting enough oxygen in between her moans. The hand on her cheek grabbed her chin.

“Look at me,” he suggested in that way of his that really was more commanding than anything else, and she complied immediately. His intense eyes stared her into a whimpering, mindless mess. Waves of pleasure gathered and crashed, and her orgasm made her cry out in release.

When she was back in sanity, he pulled her up into his lap. She wrapped her shaking feet around his torso and as his hard, boxer-clad dick pressed against her core she breathed deeply.

“I want you, inside, please?” she whispered seductively against his ear, eager to feel him in her aching hotness.

He laughed quietly, his smoky voice betraying how turned on he was. “Impatient, are you, woman?”

He ground his hips teasingly and pushed her harder against the door, his manhood pushing almost painfully at her.

“Mm. Just need your steel, Shades,” she almost whined huskily, rolling her hips. Shades cursed softly and opened the door to the bedroom, the movement making her cling to him. Cool air rushed at them from the bedroom, and Shades walked them in, practically throwing her on the bed. When he yanked off his underwear, she couldn’t help but blush at the sight of his hard, proud penis. She purposefully took her time returning to look him in the eye, licking her lips at the process. When she finally did reach his eyes, the look in them was feral. Her lungs forgot their purpose again. The smirk that lay across his lips would probably become the death of her.

“Liking what you see, woman?” he said wickedly as he came to kneel between her legs, stroking her inner thighs. She shivered, flushing all over.

“Undoubtedly.”

He slid his hands over her hips and to her breasts, and as he lowered himself on her she spread her legs apart, trying to catch his dick. He kissed her breasts, then licked one of her nipples and reveled in the soft sounds she made as he sucked on it. Her pussy was throbbing with want despite her recent, mind-blowing orgasm, and Shades seemed to be in no rush. He trailed his kisses and love bites all over her upper torso, back to the side of her neck that had her trembling, and teased her folds with his hard-on. She raked her nails on his back, eliciting a groan that sent heat to her core. 

“Please, Hernan,” she whispered, and he stopped in his tracks, his cock laying deliciously on her entrance. He raised his head to lock their gazes, his eyes full of something beyond mere lust, and after another plead from her he slid in slowly, drawing the most delicious sound of inhalation from her. He filled her perfectly, stretching her wide and touching places inside of her that hadn’t been touched in a while. He pulled out of the hot tightness almost completely, then pushed in with more force and speed at every thrust, having her panting in no time and holding her gaze all the while. When he pressed his fingers gently on her clit she practically mewled in pleasure, struggling to keep her eyes open.

Only after he’d helped her ride out her second orgasm of the night gasping his name did he let himself come inside of her.

They cleaned up, having another intimate and heat-filled moment when she noticed the effect of her naked showering on him. Dropping to her knees and pushing the shower off, she kissed the top of his penis, then took the head in her mouth. She turned to look at him and was met with an expression of pleasure completely washed from his trade-mark amusement. Taking him deeper in her mouth had him making low, guttural sounds that had her core tightening with want. She sucked, twisting her tongue and alternating with the pressure as well as depth, and he watched, panting louder until suddenly he yanked her upright and twisted her around. When he took her from behind she groaned in pleasure and slid her own fingers between her folds, finding her clit. They soon came together.

After, they returned to her bed and slid under the covers, and she cuddled to his side. He held her close with one arm, the other behind his head, and she made her fingers dance on his toned chest.

“So, for starters, you’ll let me pay for things sometimes. I will not be a trophy wi- something.”

Shades chuckled. “Is that right?” His tone was teasing, and the stretch of his smirk was clear in his voice.

“Yes. I don’t want to find bills in my pockets after I’ve paid for stuff. We’re equals.”

He laughed now. “Yes, yes, I hear your demand. Mine: You’ll ask me before you come to the Paradise. It’s often not safe for you, especially after we’re seen in public.”

Rosa thought for a moment. “Alright. And you’ll come home to me when you’ve been in danger, whether I know it or not.”

“By danger you mean…?” He sounded so dubious that she rose to her elbows to look at him.

“When you’ve been around loaded guns.” He looked her in the eye but seemed very uncomfortable, and she tried to hide her nervous surprise. “Fired ones?”

“You have yourself a deal.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THANK YOU. I LOVE YOU.


	5. Have you no idea that you're in deep?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pete's okay. Rosa's excellent.

Waking up to find him next to her was thrilling and calming at the same time, safe and exciting. He was laying on his stomach, limbs pointing at different directions and his torso only partly covered with a blanket. He seemed so peaceful that she decided to let him sleep, kissing his shoulder very softly before getting up. After putting on a morning gown she quietly slid out of the room and towards the bathroom.

It was 10 in the morning, and she decided to call Pete while the coffee was dripping. When she was waiting for him to answer, Shades walked out of the bedroom, clad only in his boxers. Noticing the phone on her ear he sent her a smile accompanied by a crooked eye brow, and she watched him gather his suit pants and walk across the room. Looking at her and sporting his trademark smirk he proceeded to put the trousers on before sitting on the sofa. She had no idea how he made such a simple task look so sexy.

“Pete here.” His voice pulled Rosa out of her staring, and she brushed her hair behind her ear to compose herself.

“Thank god! How are you?”

“Oh hey sweetheart! I’m fantastic. I wish I could tell you more but there’s a sexy man looking at me angrily, making sure I name no names.” His tone was playfully delightful, and she felt tension leave her body at it. He really was fine.

“Well that sounds fun. As it happens, so have I. I wonder if those are connected.”

He squealed. “No way! You? You never have fun! Oh I’m so proud! Is it the steamy asshole we went to Hoboken’s Nirvana for?”

“Gosh, how do you come up with these names? But yes, that is correct. Can you not tell anything?”

He went silent for the shortest amount of time in the history of silences. “Well. It’s the asshole’s bodyguard. Whoops. I guess that wasn’t subtle enough, there’s some very angry huffing at this end. Oh well. Maybe you don’t tell his boss before he’s given you at least five orgasm?” He chattered on, voice so easygoing and playful that her face broke into a massive smile. She bit her lip remembering the two extra rounds they had in her bed after shower, involving easily the best oral she had ever received.

She tried her best to sound nonchalant but failed miserably. “Starting from now, or within the last 12 hours?”

“Girl!” He shrieked again, and this time her giggle was impossible to contain.

“I know, right?”

“You can totally use my words as a means of extortion if you want, but I’m going to give you a free pass on account of him obviously being generous enough. This just in: the jury released the steamy man of all charges.”

“I feel like extortion isn’t the way to start this thing but we’ll see. But how about you? And don’t try to tell me you slept separately like good little school boys.” 

“Oh you know me. I don’t kiss and tell. Unless you see me do it. Which you usually do, of course. But this time my lips are sealed. For now.”

“Wow, so you really are trying to keep it quiet! That is almost unheard of. I am shocked. Shocked!” She feigned astonishment and threw in some mock anguish, then laughed heartily. “No, but seriously. I’m so happy you’re okay. Can you come over to the shop today, so I can see your handsome face in one piece? Or should I come over to your place after I’m finished at work?”

“Sure, darling. It seems the angry man requires my attention now. I’ll see you later!” She could hear the start of an excited laughter before the line went suddenly silent. Rosa was still smiling when she turned to look at the steamy man in her apartment.

Shades was studying her curiously, and she could tell he was trying to intercept all the possible information from the phone call. She smiled at him sweetly and put her phone away, leaning against the end of the half wall.

“So. What did you learn?” She asked, at least equally curious. Halfway through the conversation she had decided to tell him everything anyway, since Pete had given him her blessing to do exactly that, but she wanted to see how much was obvious from just one side of the conversation.

He cocked his head and pursed his lips approvingly. “I learned that your best friend is as okay as I was led to believe. I learned that he spent a night with someone, and that he couldn’t tell you much of the details. I have a good guess as to who it was, because I know who I sent after him last night, and the secrecy around it seems too much of a coincidence not to confirm it. What is still a mystery, is exactly what you bragged about, but I’m certain it has something to do with either me or us.”

The way his lips curved, confident and playful, made butterflies tickle at her ribs. _Gosh, this man is too gorgeous for my frail heart._

“So, who did you send after him?”

“Comanche, or Darius. The name that was used depends a lot on what went down with them.” The way he said it made Rosa think that there was something there that required more digging.

“Interesting. Well, all I got, was “the bodyguard”, so any name is good enough. Is he that? Your body guard?” She sounded innocent enough, a curious smile curling at her lips, but couldn’t help the even more curious hint of something else at her heart. _Jealous? Already? Bitch, calm down._

He smiled, apparently reading her like there’d been a user manual. “More like a second in command. But yes, it’s probably the same guy. Now, what _did_ you brag about?”

Letting go of the strange whatever, she walked across the room and straddled him on the sofa. “Oh, it was about how many times you made me scream your name last night, _Hernan_.” The last word was hushed, barely a whisper against his ear, and her fingers equally as soft on his skin when she moved them across his bare shoulders.

His skin prickled, and she could feel his dick hardening underneath her. “I do love it when you whimper my name in your pleasure,” he said softly against her throat. “Now let’s see about the screaming.”

Her giggle died in her throat when he flipped her, laying her back against the sofa and biting at her collar bone. She hadn’t had a clue as to how much love bites could turn her on, always thinking that hickeys were something only teens did, but the way he sucked on her skin forced moans of pleasure out of her. She wrapped her legs around his middle and scratched his back and scalp with her nails, making him hum in approval. His eyes flashed dangerously when he opened her gown to find nothing underneath, and she bit her lip knowingly. He kneaded her breasts with rough hands before diving to suck strongly at one of her nipples, and her moans were loud enough to make his hair stand up in arousal.

When her hands travelled down to remove his trousers, he turned to look at her with a wicked smile, shaking his head and making her eyes turn wide in alarm. He pried her hands above her head and held them by the wrists in one strong hand, using the other to stroke her cheek.

“Relax,” he said with an amused smile, and Rosa shuddered in anticipation, whole body flushing with excitement. He held her chin firmly and his kiss was wild, slipping his tongue in her mouth exploringly. As she melted to the kiss, he let go of her chin and run his fingers down her neck and body, visiting all the places he had left marks on and causing her to whimper every time he traveled over the sensitive spots.

Her whimpers turned into a moan when he came across her nipple again, but he only circled it once before travelling across her stomach all the way down to where their bodies connected. His clothed penis was pushing deliciously against her scalding center, but he had no problem getting a hand between them to explore her dripping folds. He paused the kiss to look at her face with curiosity, a smug grin spreading his lips.

“So you like being restrained,” he stated, squeezing her wrists a bit tighter and casually stroking her entrance. When he slipped two fingers inside her, she whined loudly.

“Apparently,” she managed to admit before he attacked her neck with new bites, sucks and kisses while working at her vagina, thumb circling her clitoris. Her loud moans coaxed him to speed up, and soon she was quivering on the brink of an orgasm. Mere moments before she crashed he stopped abruptly, eliciting an agonous huff from her.

“Please, Shades,” she pleaded, struggling against his hands. His smirk widened, eyes dark and dangerous, and she realized that she was his prey now. The thought made her skin crawl with unexpected desire.

“I do need to hear you scream, sweetheart,” he said looking in her eyes with a voice so wicked it sent shivers all the way down her legs. When he pulled his rock hard cock out of his pants and entered her in a single, violent thrust, she did scream.

“That’s my girl.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the end. Hold your breath and count to, idk, seventeen thousand before you kill me? Thank you so much for reading, if you truly are a real person. 
> 
> Now if you're wondering about it - yes, I purposefully avoided describing Rosa Green's appearance as much as possible. I figured that you as a reader should have the freedom to imagine whatever you wanted. Some clothes I wanted to throw in when I felt it was necessary, but I do believe I kept her otherwise quite universal. The name I picked because it's precious to me. (Spoiler alert: it's mine. My own. Kinda, with a twist. Sorry.) So what did you go with? Is she you? 
> 
> And yes, the chapter titles are the first lines from Do I Wanna Know by Arctic Monkeys. I don't own it, or them. But I do love them. And you. I LOVE YOU. I'M SORRY. BYEEE.


End file.
